“Put your shoes on,” I command her. Her lips tip up into a smile, and she does as I ask, slipping her slender feet into her fuck-me heels.

As soon as she has her balance, I pick her up and brace her against the back of the door, kissing her like my life depends on it.

Because I swear, there are moments that it does.

Nothing is more important to me than the woman in my arms and the tiny girl outside that door.

“You make me fucking crazy,” I growl into her ear. “It seems I can’t go six hours without wanting to be planted inside you. I love you so much I ache with it.”

“Yes,” she pants, circling her hips and freeing my long hair, running her fingers through it. “I love you, too. So much.”

I smile against her lips, set my cock free, and slip easily inside her, making her groan when my apa slides along the most sensitive parts of her pussy.

“Jesus,” she whispers as I fuck her hard, one hand reaching back to grip onto her heel.

“You’ll still wear these later,” I say, burying my face in her neck and biting her, careful not to leave a mark. “But I need this right now.”

“Hell yes,” she says and whimpers when her orgasm moves through her. She clenches down on me, and the pressure in my spine and balls is out of this fucking world as I lose control.

Once we catch our breath, I set her on her feet, make sure she has her balance, then tuck myself away. As she rights herself, I pull my hair back, and then, with a smug smile on her gorgeous face, we leave the bathroom.

Jules hurries to the buffet line and quickly searches around the food, lifting spoons and spoon rests, hoping the ring fell on the table top.

I pull the table cloth off the ground and look under it, in case it rolled beneath the food.

Nothing.

Matt and Nic wander out from inside the house, Nic sporting the same grin as my wife, and I assume somewhere outside of my beach house has been christened by these two.

“It’s not in the car,” Matt says. “We’ll head down and see if Wyatt and Lia found anything.”

“We’ll be right behind you,” Julianne says and then sighs and looks up at me with worried eyes. “She’s going to be devastated if we don’t find it.”

“Is everything okay, darling?” Julianne’s mom, Gail, asks as she joins us. She reaches over to add some ham biscuits with fig jam to her plate. “I need the recipe for these biscuits. They’re so flaky.”

“Everything’s great, Mom,” Julianne replies, pasting on her fake smile. “You know how it is, just making sure everyone is having a great time.”

Gail narrows her eyes on her daughter, but doesn’t call her out on the lie. She just pats her hand and says, “Let me know if I can help. Everyone’s having a lovely time. Don’t worry.”

She wanders back to her seat, next to Wyatt’s mom. The two have been thick as thieves for weeks.

“We’ll find it, or replace it,” I murmur to Julianne. “Let’s go down to the gazebo and see what’s what.”

She nods and leads me down the stairs. Wyatt is sitting on one of the deep couches with Lia curled up next to him. Her tears are gone, but she looks defeated.

Matt and Nic are pouring themselves bloody Marys. Meredith and Stacy are chatting on the opposite couch, drinking mimosas.

“I take it you didn’t find it,” Julianne says, her shoulders falling in disappointment.

“No,” Lia says. “I’m so pissed.”

“I’ll file an insurance claim,” Wyatt replies. “And I can replace it.”

“I know, but it’s expensive, and it has an immense amount of sentimental value,” Lia replies. “I’m so sorry.”

“What happened?” Meredith asks.

“I lost my engagement ring.”

“Oh, honey,” Stacy says. “I’m so sorry.”

Lia shrugs. “You know, it sucks, but I’m not going to let it ruin the rest of this party. Everyone is here to celebrate us, and I refuse to mope about this for one more minute.”

She stands and holds her hand out to Wyatt.

“I want a chocolate cinnamon roll.”

“Let’s get you one then,” he says as he stands and follows Lia up the stairs.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Meredith says, looking down at her own wedding band and engagement ring. “I had a scare like that once, and I was positive my heart was going to fall out of my chest.”

“I did lose my wedding band,” Stacy says, shaking her head. “When I was pregnant with Michael, my hands were so swollen I couldn’t wear my rings, so I put my engagement ring in the safe, but kept my wedding band out for the rare occasions that I could manage to wrangle it on my finger. I set it on the bedside table, and it disappeared. To this day, I don’t know where it is. Isaac bought me a new one, but I wish I had the original.”

“It happens,” I reply and wrap my arm around Julianne’s back. “Things can always be replaced. Do you need anything from upstairs?”

“No thanks,” Mer says with a smile. “We’re enjoying the ocean breeze and the company.”

Jules leads me upstairs, and we find seats next to Natalie, Luke, Will and Meg. Stella has moved to Will’s lap, and he keeps stealing her nose.

“You don’t have my nose!” she exclaims with a laugh.

“Here, I’ll put it back,” Will says, and presses his fingers to Stella’s face, making her laugh harder.

“Mommy,” Olivia says as she runs up to Natalie. “Look at my new pretty!”

She holds her hand up to Natalie’s face, and Jules and I freeze before glancing at each other.

“Uh, Olivia, I don’t think this is for you.”

“I found it in the bathroom! Finders keepers, losers weepers.”

Jules squats next to Olivia and kisses her cheek. “Baby doll, that’s a pretty ring. But you know what?”

“What?”

“That’s Miss Lia’s ring. She lost it earlier, and you found it for her. She’s going to be so excited.”

Olivia’s beautiful face scrunches into a frown. “But I like it.”

“You have lots of costume jewelry at home,” Nat says with a laugh. “Please give Aunt Jules the ring.”

Olivia slides it off of her finger and drops it in Jules’ outstretched palm. “Okay.”

“Thanks, baby doll,” Jules says before kissing the little girl again and turning to me with a bright smile. “Thank the baby Jesus! We found it!”

Brunch Menu

Ham Biscuits with Fig Jam

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound country ham steak

24 Homemade Tea Biscuits (Click here for recipe)

Fig Jam (Click here for recipe)

In a large iron skillet over medium heat, melt butter and add ham steak. Brown on each side for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and slice into 1-2 inch pieces. To build the sandwich, slice each biscuit in half and top with 2 slices of ham and 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of Fig Jam. Serve on a platter with additional jam.

Homemade Tea Biscuits

2 cups self-rising flour

1 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, chilled and cubed

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix together the flour and salt. Cut butter into flour mixture with a fork. Coarse crumbs will appear. Pour in the buttermilk. Stir together to combine. On a lightly floured surface, fold and press dough in a folding pattern 2-3 times, then roll dough until about 1 inch thick. Cut out 24 biscuits using a small biscuit cutter (11/2 inch). Place biscuits on a greased cookie sheet and brush the tops with melted butter. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

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Crab Cakes Benedict

Crab Cakes

1 pound lump crab meat

4 green onions, chopped

1 egg

1/2 cup mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt)

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Juice of one lemon

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

Combine all ingredients except butter and form into 1 inch thick cakes. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Place 4 crab cakes in the skillet and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Add more butter as needed to avoid sticking. Remove from skillet and place on paper towels to drain.